Adventures in Haiti: The Earth Day Edition

Happy Earth Day EVERYONE !

We hope you are all out enjoying Springtime, working in your gardens,  planting trees ?!  (and reading e-mail from Haiti : -)
 
Tree-planting season is nearly here in Haiti.   We’re so excited about planting and even more EXCITED about becoming parents.  We wanted to share a little bit of planting and parenting with you.  We believe both will be good for the future of this little island.
 
Adoptions aren’t free, so we thought about selling something Haitian like vanilla or handicrafts-- but you’re already probably trying to Spring-clean your house . . .   
 
. . . so here’s our idea.   For every dollar you donate to our adoption of a Haitian baby, we will plant or give out a tree seedling to our friends and neighbours for them to plant.  Currently we need to raise around $1750 CAN ($1500 US)  (There is no minimum or maximum to trees seedling we are ready to plant!)
 
The trees we plant and give out for planting in gardens, mountainsides, fresh water springs, and riverbeds on the island off Haiti will be part of the heritage of our little one and the other little ones of Haiti who are growing up and learning the great gift of trees.  
  
If you have some money left over and do want to try something Haitian, check out your grocery store and you may have the chance to taste a bit of Haiti in a mango. Baskets and donkeys and trucks loaded with perfect mangoes travel through and from Dezam daily.    That’s right, it’s mango season and Haitian mangoes are coming soon to a store near you.  Not much is sweeter than a Haitian mango (see photo below for evidence)!
 
If you’re not ready to help out with money, thoughts, prayers and e-mails are just as welcome! Adopting feels like a daunting challenge, but with all of your love and support we already feel hopeful about where this adventure is going.
 
Here are the contacts for donations by cash or cheque:
 
Ted and Marge Van Geest               
59 Simpson Rd.  
St. Catharines, ON L2N 3Z5

OR

Thea and Art DeGroot
6090 Brigden Rd.
Sarnia, ON  N7T 7H2
 
Mèsi !
 
Esther and Matt                                                                

(Here’s our e-mail: greatspirit@fastmail.fm)
 
DISCLAIMER: So you’ve probably noticed, we’re all about trees.  Please note that the trees we plant and give out to raise money for our adoption are NOT in any way part of our reforestation work with MCC.   
 
**Also, MCC is helping us out by paying the equivalent amount to childbirth costs in Haiti (~$2500 US). The total cost of adoption within Haiti is  around $4000 US.   If total donations exceed $1500 US, we will turn over the extra $ to MCC.